The Look In His Eyes
by FallenQueen2
Summary: Writer's Month 2019. Day 16. Soulmate AU. Rare Pair. Shikamaru/Itachi. ONESHOT. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Writer's Month Day 16**

**Trope Prompt: Soulmate**

**Fandom: Naruto**

**Pairing: Shikamaru/Itachi **

**Tags: ****#writersmonth2019, soulmate AU, rare pair, you see colours when you lock eyes with your soulmate, possessive Itachi, shocked Shikamaru**

**The Look In His Eyes**

"Don't look him in the eyes, don't look him in the eyes or it's all over," Shikamaru repeated to himself in his mind over and over, as he leapt from branch to branch. He caught the sight of a black cloak with grey clouds from the corner of his eye every so often as he tried to stay one step ahead of Itachi Uchiha. The scroll both men were after was heavy as lead in Shikamaru's flack jacket and the Nara felt it's weight with each step.

Shikamaru smothered a yelp as the branch he stepped on next turned into flames courtesy of Itachi. Shikamaru dropped to the forest floor and kept his eyes down, not willing to risk looking into the Uchiha's eyes knowing that if he did then he was as good as dead.

"Give me scroll, there is no need for this senseless cat and mouse chase." Itachi sounded bored and while Shikamaru could respect that, it didn't mean he was just going to hand the scroll over after all he had his orders.

"Or you could just leave and we'll call it a day?" Shikamaru kept his eyes on the Uchiha's feet; the cloak's bottom just brushes against the dirt of the ground.

"W both know that is not an option little leaf Nin," Itachi said as he took a few steps closer to Shikamaru. Shikamaru swallowed and brought his hands together in the correct hand sign for his shadow possession justu. Itachi saw this and tossed a few kunai at Shikamaru's hands, halting the action and forced him to the dodge to the side and Itachi slammed his knee into Shikamaru's gut.

Shikamaru coughed at the impact and gasped when the missing Nin grasped his hair by his ponytail and yanked him up off the ground. Shikamaru was too late in shutting his eyes and went still in pure shock as his world exploded into colour, all focusing around the red of Itachi's eyes.

Itachi's eyes widened and he pulled Shikamaru closer, but his fingers were not putting the same amount of pressure on Shikamaru's scalp.

"You are…Well," Itachi hummed in something like amazement while Shikamaru stared in the face of his damn soulmate as the world moved around them in vibrant colours instead of the usual black, grey and white Shikamaru was used to.

Shikamaru was in shock as he found himself being gently lowered to the ground and Itachi cupping his face between his hands and their eyes still locked together.

"I will be back for you my little soulmate, no one will dare go after you once I claim you." Itachi promised, his voice was low and husky in a way that made Shikamaru shudder helplessly and then the missing Nin was gone in a flurry of leaves. Not even moments later Kakashi, Asuma, Ino, Choji and Sakura landed around him, all of them on their guard and looking around for Itachi.

"Are you alright Shikamaru?" Ino asked as Sakura knelt next to him, her hands glowing green in preparation to heal him from injures. Shikamaru was silent as he took in the sights of his team and fellow leaf ninja; they were so colourful and beautiful.

"I think so?" Shikamaru stammered out, locking eyes with Asuma who was still crouched in a defensive position. Shikamaru let his head fall back and he let out a small breath as he took in the blue of the sky and the whites of the clouds.

"Actually, no I don't think I am, don't think I ever will be." Shikamaru murmured as the colour he had just gained was swallowed by darkness at the sides of his vision and he went down hard. Red eyes glowing in his mind's eye as he passed out and the knowledge this was going to become more troublesome than anything else in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Look In His Eyes [Itachi/Shikamaru]**

**Chapter 2 - FINAL**

**Square filled: used as bait**

**Created for badthingshappenbingo**

**Tags: badthinghappenbingo, used as bait, soulmate AU, rare pair, you see colours when you lock eyes with your soulmate, possessive Itachi, kidnapped Shikamaru, soul mate bond, hurt Shikamaru, angsty ending, hopeful ending**

Shikamaru woke numerous times; each time only served to confuse him more than the previous time.

The first time was the blurring of green trees from where he was slung on the back of Asuma; Shikamaru remembered the dark skin tone of his Sensei and his red eyes in particular. He passed out when those red eyes were overlapped by his soul mates and he spun back down into darkness.

The next time was to the sterile white ceiling of the hospital in Konoha, he vaguely remembered seeing the purple diamond on Tsunade's forehead and the green of her hands as they reached for him.

The time after that was the most confusing of them all, Shikamaru could feel cold metal against his wrists and the sensation of being moved. Shikamaru hazily lifted his right hand and stared unseeingly at the silver that circled his wrist and the white tube that was feeding transparent liquid into his bloodstream.

"He's conscious, quick douse him again." An unfamiliar voice echoed loudly in Shikamaru's ears and his world spun back to darkness once more.

The final time Shikamaru regained consciousness it was dark. Not natural darkness from the night sky, but dank darkness that only came from being underground. A penetrating chill made Shikamaru shiver and helped the Nara realize he was lying on some sort of stone slab shirtless. Shikamaru could feel cool ink being dragged over his chest and a blank masked ANBU standing over him, painting him with seals.

"Wha?" Shikamaru's head felt like it was full of dry cotton as he took in the brown of the cave ceiling overhead.

"Ah you're awake, I had worried my men had given you too much of the drug." An older man stepped into Shikamaru's view line, bandages covering one eye and his arms.

"Danzo," Shikamaru realized as his mind connected the name to the face.

"Nara Shikamaru, soul mate to Uchiha Itachi. This whole time you were right under my nose," Danzo gripped Shikamaru's chin, yanking the Nara's head side to side making Shikamaru's world spin for a stomach-churning moment.

"What are you doing to me?" Shikamaru wondered how Danzo knew he was Itachi's soul mate, there was no way to figure out who someone's soul mate was even after the two had met.

"Don't worry, I won't risk having all the clans turn on me if they found out I experimented on you. No, no, you are simply bait for your soul mate. After all soul mates have a very special bond and if you stimulate it just right…" Danzo waved his hand at the ANBU who made a hand sign and Shikamaru shrieked in pain as his body arched up as something like an electric current surged through him. Shikamaru gasped for breath as he collapsed back onto the slab, limbs shaking and fighting the urge to curl up into the fetal position.

"Uchiha must have felt that he'll be here to save his soul mate soon enough." Danzo's voice was smug and Shikamaru had the strongest urge to rip the man's voice box out.

"Oh that glare, it seems Uchiha is effecting you young Nara." Danzo laughed as he waved his hand at the ANBU again. Shikamaru shouted as the electricity surged through him again.

"That was just an incentive for your soul mate to hurry up," Danzo said as the ANBU moved Shikamaru's weak limbs up into metal cuffs that effectively kept the weakened Nara chained to the slab.

"You're insane," Shikamaru's voice was shaky but the hatred in his eyes was steady.

"The young just lack vision," Danzo said smugly before he walked away, leaving the blank masked ANBU to stand watch over the half-conscious Nara.

"This is going to end badly for you," Shikamaru warned, voice trembling as he fisted his hands in order to hide how they were mirroring his voice. The ANBU just tilted it's head like it was considering the young Ninja before a hand descended on his forehead and Shikamaru once again fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Shikamaru was all for sleep, but the sensations of waking up after each time he fell unconscious was starting to make him feel sick. Shikamaru forced his eyes open when he felt wind on his face and a familiar scent. Dirt and dead leaves crunched under his knees as he shifted as he got his bearings.

"The Forest of Death," Shikamaru breathed in recognition, a bad feeling washing over him as he realized his hands were locked far apart behind his back and a blank masked ANBU was standing behind him.

"Your soul mate will be here any minute to save you," Danzo sneered from where he stood a few steps to the right of Shikamaru.

"What are you hoping to accomplish here?" Shikamaru tugged uselessly at the cuffs as he looked around the dense forest, wondering if Itachi would actually show up.

"He has something I desire and in exchange for you, he will give it to me," Danzo stated before falling silent as Itachi dropped down in front of them. His cloak swirling around his feet and his eyes narrow as they honed in on Shikamaru.

"What do you want?" Itachi's words were smooth and Shikamaru's bad feeling only grew.

"You know what I want, give it to me or your soul mate dies. I've heard witness the death of your soul mate is the most painful thing in the world, worse than just feeling their pain." Danzo sounded smug and Shikamaru hissed as the sharp edge of a kunai was shallowly dragged across his throat. Itachi took a step forward, hands moving upwards to make a hand sign as blood trickled down Shikamaru's neck from the cut.

"Try it and he dies," Danzo snapped, Itachi was silent but he did lower his hands.

"You should have left him alone Danzo," Itachi warned, his Sharingan spinning. Shikamaru on reflex closed his eyes, the lesson of not looking into the Sharingan all but engraved in his mind by this point.

"Open your eyes, my little soul mate, you have nothing to fear from me." Itachi's voice was closer now and Shikamaru found himself obeying his soul mate's words. Shikamaru blinked as he found his hands free of the cuffs and the two of them alone in the forest.

"What happened?" Shikamaru's eyes darted around, blanching when he saw a pile of ash behind him where the ANBU had been.

"My claim on you has been made, Danzo will never touch you again," Itachi said simply as he gripped Shikamaru and lifted him up onto his feet. Shikamaru shuddered as a spark went through him at his soul mate's touch just like those cheesy romance novels Ino loved described.

"I am tempted to bring you away from here my little soul mate, let you escape from the pressure and allow you to live as you wish." Itachi sounded remorseful as he cupped Shikamaru's chin, tipping the smaller man's head up so their eyes could meet. Shikamaru sank into the feeling of having contact with his soul mate, his very soul singing.

"Why don't you?" Shikamaru never wanted to leave the village before, but he would consider it if it meant feeling this amazing constantly then he would consider it.

"I will not put you in harm's way any longer, I am not long for this world my little soul mate. I will not put you through such horror." Itachi caressed Shikamaru's cheek as he spoke, sadness oozing from every word and a stone settled in Shikamaru's gut.

"You're dying," Shikamaru whispered in horror, realization settling in his very soul as their bond rang with sadness and acceptance.

"Yes, I am merely slowing its progress until my otouto can match me in battle." Itachi smoothed his hand over Shikamaru's hair, the band breaking and the Nara's hair falling free under the older man's touch.

"Will, I ever see you again?" Shikamaru asked as he did his best to savour the touch of his soul mate as his heart began to break.

"Perhaps from afar, but not like this no." Itachi's face was full of regret. "I am tempted to stray from my chosen path, but I must do this. You understand don't you, my little soul mate?"

"I do," Shikamaru truly did understand, he hated it but he understood what Itachi was feeling.

"You will survive my little soul mate, this I promise." Itachi leaned down and pressed their lips together in their first and only kiss as soul mates. Shikamaru clung to the missing-nin with all his strength as he poured his feelings into their bond while it was strong and bright between them.

"Goodbye my little soul mate," Itachi whispered as his Sharingan spun, fire exploding around them and Shikamaru remembered no more.

Shikamaru woke up to a colourful world; he blinked as he looked around the hospital room in confusion. Shikamaru in silent awe took in the bright colour's his team was made up of.

"Shikamaru!" Ino shrieked as she and Choji lunged towards him, clutching his hands.

"You're awake!" Choji looked on the verge of tears while Asuma dragged a hand over his face.

"W-What happened?" Shikamaru's mind was blank, he felt as if he had been asleep for a very long time.

"What do you remember?" Asuma asked carefully and Shikamaru squinted at his Sensei's red eyes and unexplainably felt sadness.

"I think I was being chased on my mission and then I woke up here…" Shikamaru had never liked feeling lost and confused yet that was all he was feeling now.

"You… You don't remember anything past that?" Ino looked pained while Choji tightened his grip on his best friend's hand.

"No, did something happen?" Shikamaru was extremely curious now and rolled his eyes when his team exchanged glances he had seen many times before.

"Uchiha Itachi was chasing you, somehow you got away and we brought you back to Konoha… Shikamaru someone took you from the hospital right from under the staff's nose and when we found you… You were unconscious in the Forest of Death in the middle of a huge charred clearing." Asuma explained pained as his fingers tugged at his pockets, obviously dying to smoke to take the stress off.

"I don't remember any of that." Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows together as all he could come up with was darkness when he tried to remember.

"So do any of you know why can I see colours? I haven't met my soul mate yet, right?" Shikamaru asked quietly and sighed when the trio exchanged looks again.

"No one knows what happened when you were taken Shikamaru, but if you can't remember… It is possible that you did meet your soul mate and they… Did something to block off those memories…" Ino said slowly, she and her clan knew more about soul mate bonds than anyone else as they dealt with the mind and soul.

"We can look into it," Asuma promised and Shikamaru closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back to the colourful world.

"Nah… For some reason, I don't feel like I need to know… It's strange, but I feel like I know who my soul mate is even if I can't remember." Shikamaru felt a phantom touch on his cheek and he felt content with his lack of knowledge for once.

"It is your choice," Choji promised, shooting the other two looks when they went to talk. Choji had known Shikamaru since they were kids and he knew when Shikamaru was content and that was the right look.

"Thanks, guys, I think I'll be alright," Shikamaru said as he looked out the window and smiled at the sight of the white clouds driftixng over a blue sky. He silently thanked his unknown soul mate for giving him such beauty and hoped that one day they would meet again.


End file.
